Farm Boss

Frequently Asked Questions...

Can a chain on a chain saw "stretch"?

I have a Stihl "farm boss" chain saw with about 40 hours on it. I keep it sharpened, replaced the plug once, and especially like the auto lube feature so I don't have to think about oiling the chain. The last few times I have cut with it, I've needed to tighten the chain after 10 - 15 minutes of use. The last time I took it apart and saw that there was no more room for adjustment. Is it possible to take out a link to shorten it, or do I just need to break down and get a new chain. Money is tight, and I am cheap, but I do need to get this running again.

Answer:

Chain saw chains do stretch, however not as far that it is out of the adjustment area of the chain saw. It is either the wrong chain or we are talking about a chain that should have been chucked "years ago". 40 hours is nothing. So there is something you are not understanding in the chain tightening department.
Stop by a chainsaw shop and ask them the correct procedure on tightening a chain and how tight it is suppose to be. Too tight is no good either.
You cannot remove links.
The proper tightness is when you grab the chain after sharpening (in the middle of the bar) and lift it upward so that the weight of the chainsaw pulls down on it. The bottom of the chain should "just about clear the chain groove track"when looking at it from the side. No looser, no tighter. That allows for the tightening of the chain (when it gets into a heated cut) and still being loose enough to allow the chain to rotate around to do cutting. Heating mainly happens due to lack of lubricant on the bar or/and a dull chain.
I have seen people tighten the chain up so there was nearly no clearance, so when it did heat up, the chain seized on the bar.